I get to dapple in lots of different areas with my career and I'm more than excited to finally get to show off my most recent project - an studio renovation in NYC!

The project (like most?!) grew and grew from the original project scope - and in the last six months it went from being a quick loft rebuild, with new paint and a new kitchen - to a full gut renovation of the loft, kitchen, ceiling, lighting and bathroom. Little to say, the space is totally transformed.

Big thanks to Sibyl and Ben for modeling! Photos and staging by Ellen.

I love the first spring flowers, especially the Magnolia. We have a fairly large tree which has moved from house to house with us; it was an anniversary gift to my parents. I shot these pictures on one amazing spring day a couple weeks back, with my new lens, about a week before winter came back and frost browned the buds.

I just got back from a two week hiatus in Roatan, a beautiful island off the coast of Honduras. The internet on the island was pretty rocky - so my apologies for the extra long gap between posts! The trip was wonderful - everything a tropical island vacation should be !

i would like to take a minute to give a shout out to the spray rose and carnation, both grocery store staples and both slightly detested due to misuse in the 80's and 90's. always a fan of the underdog, im on the side of the standard roses and carnations of the world, especially the carnations, because they are valued (mentally and price-wise) lower than all other flowers in the world. (except the painted mums. those are just weird.) so, i went out on a mission to make something nice out of grocery store staples, carnations, roses and in search of something green and inexpensive, headed over to the produce area and snagged a bunch of dill. (I love using herbs in arrangements. they smell great, and are also, undervalued in the floral world.)

peachy-pink & white carnations, spray roses, dill, privet berry and amaryllis were the only floral materials used here. everything either came from the grocery store, i forced or found at home or i picked up at a local second hand store. super bonus is that the purchased flowers (i.e. grocery store items) cost less than $20!

I've been going back and forth between super confused and very sure in this little trek i have made so far since leaving my full time job last September. But, a good friend recently reminded me of some superb advice. "Fake it til you make it" so in that vein I created my first business cards!!

photo credit goes to the wonderful ADA at custerluck

OH YES, that is GLITTER on the back. 100% a happy accident (glitter hides printing mistakes! and i hate to waste beautiful, new cardstock) and I really LOVE them. The limited few people i have shared them with have been pretty excited ... and of course, I would be delighted to have your comments too.

a couple of days ago i got the urge to do a post and had this idea to write about our (first!) most recent snow storm, but then i realized that would be TWO weather related posts in a row... and that would mean i have nothing to talk about besides the weather... AND that would mean I'm a boring old lady. (not that all old ladies are boring or that I'm not secretly really excited to be an old lady... you know what i mean) Any who, all i am saying is that when you have nothing to talk about besides the weather you should very quickly find something better to talk about... so whipped out my printer and exacto knife and made these!

i had an idea to create seating cards like this - where the table number is a pop up - last year when i was working with Katie & Darren on their reception planning and graphics. we went another route in september but i still love this idea! its simple, paper saving and unique... plus really pretty.

oh yes, i know what your thinking... they are labor intensive.. but that's why you hire someone (me!!) to make them for you.

this super warm winter we have been having is a bizarrely nice but completely unsettling. i mean a 65 degree day in Connecticut in early January? yikes. I have been noticing the daffodils are sprouting and the iris are shooting up leaves like crazy and in NYC all the young girls have their shorts with tights outfits on... everyone needs to just cool it (including mother nature) for about 2 more months!

yesterday on a walk through the west village i found this - flowering forsythia (yes a first bloomer in the spring, but usually not for another month or so!)

with all the holiday baking and parties going on this week I though it was a great time to share this utterly amazing frosting recipe. i made it for a party i did back in october using just a box chocolate cake (i know, i know) anyways - the cake was a huge hit and really beautiful that would look great on any holiday dessert table.